Scottish Executive

Employment

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to facilitate returning to work for mothers who wish to do so.

Ms Wendy Alexander: There are a range of steps being taken at Scottish and UK levels.

  The Scottish Executive's Childcare Strategy aims to provide affordable, accessible, good quality childcare to meet the needs of working parents. The Executive is providing £16.75 million of Childcare Strategy funding in 2002-03 and 2003-04 to local authorities which are responsible, with Childcare Partnerships, for its disbursement.

  Also, the Executive's Training for Work programme aims to help mothers who wish to return to work through the provision of appropriate training and structured work activity.

  At UK level, the New Deal for Lone Parents aims to provide lone parents, of whom over 90% are women, with the help they need to take up and remain in employment.

  Additionally, the Employment Bill introduces improvements to existing maternity rights from April 2003 and the introduction of the new Working Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit from April 2003 will have a positive impact for many families and individuals across Scotland.

  The Work-Life Balance campaign exists to raise awareness among employers of the benefits of implementing flexible working practices by establishing dialogue with businesses, trade unions and professional organisations to research and disseminate best practice examples in flexible working.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about (a) why the owners of Sandside Beach in Reay have stopped allowing the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to access the beach in order to undertake monitoring for radioactive particles and (b) the circumstances on any prior occasion in which the UKAEA was prevented from accessing the beach in order to undertake such monitoring.

Ross Finnie: I understand that the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has not been prevented from gaining access to Sandside Beach in Reay to carry out monitoring for radioactive particles this year.

  I believe that the most recent occasion on which UKAEA was prevented from undertaking monitoring on the beach was on 2 August 2001. Monitoring was resumed 21 days later on 23 August 2001.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions it will give, or has given, to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in order to ensure public safety in the area of Sandside Beach in Reay.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has not given instructions to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on this matter, and has no plans to do so.

  SEPA is required to follow the terms of the Radioactive Substances (Basic Safety Standards) (Scotland) Direction 2000, which lays down safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. SEPA is currently satisfied that the monitoring programme undertaken by the UK Atomic Energy Authority on Sandside Beach meets those requirements.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when a report will be made available on the incident at Sandside Beach in Reay in which the UK Atomic Energy Authority was prevented from monitoring radioactive particles on the beach.

Ross Finnie: I understand that the most recent occasion on which access to Sandside Beach was prevented was between 2 August 2001 and 23 August 2001. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has confirmed that this did not affect the planned monitoring programme at that time.

Gaelic

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to (a) graduate students and (b) school leavers who wish to take Gaelic Immersion courses before undergoing teacher training for Gaelic-medium education.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Graduate students are not eligible for further support if they are improving an existing advanced level qualification or have previously received bursary or SAAS (Student Awards Agency for Scotland) support. The reason for this is that it has to be recognised that there is considerable competition for support and it would be unfair if those seeking their first award failed to secure support because other second-time students had been awarded support.

  Students studying at further education colleges, including school leavers, who meet the means-test and residency regulations may be considered for bursary support from funds administered by individual colleges. Decisions, however, are entirely a matter for the college concerned.

MMR Vaccine

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the MMR expert group will be made public and when it will respond to the Public Health Institute of Scotland needs assessment report on autistic spectrum disorders.

Malcolm Chisholm: The report of the MMR Expert Group has been published today. Copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report is also available on both the Scottish Executive and the expert group websites.

  The Executive is grateful to the chairman and members of the expert group, for producing an excellent report, which addresses its remit in full. The report confirms that there is no proven scientific link between the MMR vaccine and autism or Crohn's disease. The Executive has no plans to change the current immunisation programme.

  The report describes the consequences of pursuing an alternative vaccination policy to MMR. It is clear that none of the alternatives provides comparable protection - for the population or individual children - against measles, mumps and rubella.

  In principle, the Executive is happy to accept all the recommendations that fall to the Scottish Executive for action. A more detailed response will, however, be prepared, and published, in due course.

  The expert group report cogently focuses on the need for improvements in the range and quality of services for those affected by autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), endorsing the recommendations of the Public Health Institute of Scotland (PHIS) Needs Assessment Report on ASD. The Executive recognises the importance of appropriate services to support individuals affected by autistic spectrum disorder, and their families and carers, and has today announced its response to the Needs Assessment Report that the Executive commissioned from the PHIS.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to reform and to improving services. Much work is under way. Autistic spectrum disorders are already included in The same as you?, the Report of the Review of Services for People With Learning Disabilities published in May 2000. Its aim is the same as the PHIS report - to ensure that services are co-ordinated and seamless. Change Funds have been provided to local authorities - £36 million over the three years to 2003-04, and £16 million in each year thereafter. This is for learning disability, but individuals with autistic spectrum disorders benefit too. Similarly children with ASD will benefit from the changes resulting from the consultation on Assessing our children's educational needs: The Way Forward, and the Changing Children's Services Fund - £27 million in 2002-03 - which is focussed on the delivery of integrated health, education and care services for vulnerable and deprived children. Also, under the Innovation Grants Programme, announced yesterday, £697,000 is being made available over two years to enable local authorities and voluntary agencies to work together to develop new services for children with ASD and their families.

  We will also work with researchers in Scotland to develop proposals for innovative, high quality research to underpin improvements in treatment and care for people with ASD.

  The Scottish Executive will continue to build on that foundation and work towards the ideal described by PHIS. The Executive is focussed on delivering sustainable, long-term improvements in the range and quality of services for those affected by autistic spectrum disorders across Scotland as a whole, in partnership with local service providers and users. Further steady and lasting progress will be based on mapping work currently being carried out by the Scottish Society for Autism and the National Autistic Society. The Executive's view, consistent with PHIS, is that early priorities must include involving individuals with ASD and their families or representatives, early assessment, integrated joint planning, and a coherent approach to training and workforce development.

Meat Industry

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers and duties NHS boards and local authorities have to implement health controls when illegal imports of meat arrive at airports and ports.

Ross Finnie: When illegal imports of meat are detected at ports and airports, it is confiscated and destroyed by either Customs and Excise officers or the local authority.

  Under the current legislation, local authorities have the power to require the destruction or re-export of any product which they have reasonable grounds for believing does not comply with conditions for import from a third country. NHS boards have no powers to implement health controls when illegal imports of meat have been discovered.

Meat Industry

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures the Food Standards Agency Scotland is taking to detect infected meat imported from abroad which (a) is unsafe for human consumption and (b) could pass infection to a farm animal.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that European Union (EU) food hygiene legislation on meat for human consumption requires that all meat sold on the single market must be fit for human consumption, and free from animal diseases. It must have passed the specified health checks under veterinary supervision, and have been awarded the appropriate health mark.

  Meat produced within the EU may circulate freely on the single market, and is not subject to border controls. However, imports of meat from other EU states are subject to random checks by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) at meat cutting plants, or by local authorities in meat plants under their supervision. Following problems over the presence of Specified Risk Material in contravention of BSE rules, the Food Standards Agency has instructed the MHS to inspect every single consignment of imported carcass beef.

  All meat imports from third countries also have to satisfy the conditions set out in EU food hygiene and import legislation. The latter includes prior notification and importation through EU authorised Border Inspection Posts (BIPs). In the BIPs, the meat is subject to a 100% check of identity and documentation, and a random physical check. The controls cover both public and animal health aspects with responsibility resting respectively with the Food Standards Agency and Agriculture Departments. Local authorities have day-to-day responsibility for enforcement of the import legislation in BIPs in Scotland.

  Agency officials are exploring proposals made in a report approved by the Board of the Food Standards Agency with a view to making a number of improvements to controls on imports at ports, and have already issued written guidance to authorities to ensure there is continued vigilance and checks on imported products both at the point of import and at the retail level. In addition the Food Standards Agency is taking an active role in interdepartmental initiatives led by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) aimed at co-ordinating action concerned with illegal imports of meat.

Museums

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports North Lanarkshire Council in their policy of allowing free entry to the Summerlee Heritage Museum in Coatbridge.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Scottish Executive has responsibility for the national museums and galleries. The responsibility for non-national museums, such as the Summerlee Heritage Museum, Coatbridge, lies with local agencies. The Public Libraries Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1887 sets out that all libraries, museums or art galleries established by local authorities under the act, or to which the act applies, shall be open to the public free of charge. The Scottish Executive supports that position.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what disciplinary or corrective action has been taken regarding those responsible for the two-year delay in the completion of the new Polmont houseblock as referred to in paragraph 34 of its Scottish Prison Service Estate: Consultation Paper - Proposals for the Future of the Scottish Prison Service Estate .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  None is appropriate.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who the staff with the most relevant experience are from whom the Scottish Prison Service sourced data as referred to in its media briefing on 28 March 2002 on the prison estates review; what positions do they hold and what experience do they have of prison administration, of working within prisons and of working with sex offenders.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  No SPS media briefing took place on 28 March 2002. There was media briefing on 21 March when SPS said that throughout the review it sourced data from the most appropriate personnel, covering a range of staff including operational, estates, financial and contracts staff.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive by what percentage the Scottish Prison Service estimates that costs per prisoner year on a net present value basis would vary with reference to a 700 place prison if a Public/Private Partnership Private Build Private Operate prison were built with places for (a) 300, (b) 400, (c) 500, (d) 600, (e) 800, (f) 900 and (g) 1,000 prisoners as referred to in paragraph 1.3 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Paragraph 1.3 indicates that the base assumption for all the calculations was that of a 700 place model. This was based on the recommendation of the Estates Review (Paragraphs 57-61) that 700 was considered to be the optimum size for a new prison. Detailed calculations have not been carried out for the wide range of sizes requested and these could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether adjustments were made to the data provided by HM Prison Service in relation to the levels of business rates, water, electricity, gas, heating requirements due to climate and any other costs which differ between Scotland and England and Wales before inclusion in the calculation of the projected cost of a Public/Private Partnership Private Build Private Operate prison as referred to in paragraph 1.3 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many transactions were included in calculating the projected cost of a Public/Private Partnership Private Build Private Operate prison as referred to in paragraph 1.3 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Six, as explained in paragraph 3.3 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24349 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 April 2002, how it judges best value in prison operation, given that it does not include the costs of the prison controller and his staff when stating the cost of HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The costs of the prison controller and staff are minimal in relation to the total costs and as such were considered by PricewaterhouseCoopers not to impact on the best value calculation. The PricewaterhouseCooper report, page 27, footnote 2, refers.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24469 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 April 2002, why the answer did not provide the information requested nor address the substance of question S1W-24469 and whether any refugees or asylum seekers remain in prisons run by the Scottish Prison Service and, if so, how many and in which establishments they are being held at (a) 2 April 2002 and (b) the present date.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Home Office Immigration Service is responsible for refugees and asylum seekers and such matters are reserved. The answer to S1W-24469 therefore provided the information available to the SPS who, in the past, held persons awaiting deportation as a service on behalf of the Home Office. These individuals are now held in the Immigration Facility at Dungavel unless, in exceptional circumstances, Dungavel is considered unsuitable for the needs of a person awaiting deportation. Such circumstances might exist where, for example, the person is thought to pose a security risk that cannot be managed in Dungavel. In these circumstances, the person may be held by the SPS on behalf of the Immigration Service. As at 2 April no persons awaiting deportation were held in any Scottish prison and as at 16 April one person is being held at HM Prison Greenock on behalf of, and at the request of, the Immigration Service.

  It is possible that a refugee or an asylum seeker could, coincidentally, be held on remand in respect of a criminal charge or convicted of a criminal offence. In these circumstances, the person would be held in a Scottish prison. However, the SPS would not necessarily be aware of whether such individuals are refugees or asylum seekers as they would be held in prison custody as either remand or convicted prisoners and not because they are refugees or asylum seekers.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to ascertain the independence of PricewaterhouseCoopers before awarding it the contract to carry out the financial review of the Scottish Prison Service estates review and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are a large independent company of accountants with a world-wide reputation. PwC were asked to conduct this review because of their acknowledged expertise in the field of Public/Private Partnerships. The Executive is satisfied that they have conducted a thorough and impartial review into the costs and underlying assumptions of the estates review.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, what lessons it drew from the report of the United States General Accounting Office of August 1996, Public and Private Prisons - Studies Comparing Operational Costs and/or Quality of Service .

Mr Jim Wallace: None.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, what lessons it drew from the report PFI and Market Testing in the Prison Service by Patrick Carter in January 2002.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Carter report is useful in pointing out the advantages in continuing with private sector provision of services and the potential stimulus it provides for public sector prison reform and achieving of best value; and is consistent with the estates review.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive . with regard to the Scottish Prison Services estate review, whether the prisons under the private build and operate model will be hub prisons for medical services.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) would at present regard a 700 place as a hub prison for medical services. In relation to any new prisons, the SPS would decide whether the hub system remained the best system given a smaller number of larger sized prisons.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Scottish Prison Service estates review, whether the private build and operate model assumes that there will be a requirement for additional staff to be employed in the first six months of operation; if so, what the details of such a requirement are and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes, and details would be subject to negotiation. The requirement is to provide operational security during the high risk opening period.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review by PricewaterhouseCoopers , whether any sum has been calculated and added to the cost of private prisons to the Executive for any additional risk that private sector prisons will misreport or not report failures in the prison that would otherwise incur a penalty; if so, what method of calculation was used, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: If based on the HM Prison Kilmarnock contract, such events would result in loss of revenue for the contractor rather than additional cost to Scottish Prison Service.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 77 of its Scottish Prison Service Estate: Consultation Paper , what steps the Scottish Prison Service took in order to evaluate the robustness of the operator's staffing proposals at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: All proposals received were fully evaluated by the operational team to ensure that the bids met the required specification. Thereafter, an evaluation panel consisting of senior Scottish Prison Service staff, including operational staff, and a representative from HM Prison Service interviewed representatives of the bidders to probe various aspects of their bid. The evaluation panel then recommended the most suitable overall bid.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 75 of its Scottish Prison Service Estate: Consultation Paper , whether it will give (a) a breakdown of each main element of the running costs and (b), in respect of each such cost, projected cash-flow charts for the 25 years of operation.

Mr Jim Wallace: The cash value real, broken down by each main element of running cost, for each of the construction and operating years is provided in the following table:

  


 


Recruitment and Start-Up Process


Staff Pay/NI/ Pension etc


Facility Related


Support Services


Prisoner Related


Other




Construction Year 1


-


-


-


-


-


-




Construction Year 2


6.8


-


-


-


-


-




Operating Year 1


2.2


12.9


1.8


1.8


3.1


0.7




Operating Year 2


1.5


13.1


1.8


1.8


3.2


0.7




Operating Year 3


0.1


13.2


1.8


1.9


3.2


0.7




Operating Year 4


0.1


13.3


1.8


1.9


3.2


0.7




Operating Year 5


0.1


13.5


1.8


1.9


3.2


0.7




Operating Year 6


0.1


13.6


1.8


1.9


3.2


0.7




Operating Year 7


0.1


13.7


1.8


1.9


3.2


0.7




Operating Year 8


0.1


13.9


1.8


1.9


3.3


0.7




Operating Year 9


0.1


14.0


1.8


1.9


3.3


0.7




Operating Year 10


0.1


14.2


1.8


1.9


3.3


0.7




Operating Year 11


0.1


14.3


1.8


1.9


3.3


0.7




Operating Year 12


0.1


14.4


1.8


1.9


3.3


0.7




Operating Year 13


0.1


14.6


1.8


2.0


3.4


0.7




Operating Year 14


0.1


14.7


1.8


2.0


3.4


0.7




Operating Year 15


0.1


14.9


1.8


2.0


3.4


0.7




Operating Year 16


0.1


15.0


1.8


2.0


3.4


0.7




Operating Year 17


0.1


15.2


1.8


2.0


3.4


0.7




Operating Year 18


0.1


15.3


1.8


2.0


3.4


0.7




Operating Year 19


0.1


15.5


1.8


2.0


3.5


0.7




Operating Year 20


0.1


15.6


1.8


2.0


3.5


0.7




Operating Year 21


0.1


15.8


1.8


2.0


3.5


0.7




Operating Year 22


0.1


15.9


1.8


2.1


3.5


0.7




Operating Year 23


0.1


16.1


1.8


2.1


3.5


0.7




Operating Year 24


0.1


16.3


1.8


2.1


3.6


0.8




Operating Year 25


0.1


16.4


1.8


2.1


3.6


0.8




  Note:

  All figures cash value real in £ million.

Public Appointments

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20118 by Mr Andy Kerr on 26 March 2002, what progress has been made in finalising the list of public appointees who declared political activity in the five-year period prior to their appointment.

Mr Andy Kerr: Political Activity Declaration forms have now been obtained for all 1,095 non-executive members of public bodies. The names of the 231 individuals who have declared political activity during the five-year period prior to their appointment is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20841).

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to motion S1M-2703 as agreed by the Parliament on 7 February 2002, whether its assessment of the effect of the trunk road maintenance contracts on local roads maintenance has been completed.

Lewis Macdonald: In order to establish a continuing process of assessment, my officials have established a standing quarterly meeting with representatives of SCOTS (Society of Chief Officers of Transportation Scotland). They have received information on initial impacts on local authority staffing and capabilities but will continue to review the situation over the next year.

Rural Development

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a grant with similar objectives to the Community Service Grant administered by the Countryside Agency as part of the Vital Villages Programme in England.

Allan Wilson: The Executive does not have any plans to introduce a similar scheme in Scotland as it has in place a range of existing measures and policies to improve quality of life in rural Scotland by enhancing access to services.

  Voluntary and community groups providing key services in rural areas can already seek financial support from a range of grant schemes run by the Executive including the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund and, for transport projects, the Rural Transport Fund.

  In addition, the Executive supports a number of core services in rural areas through rates relief measures: 50% mandatory relief from non-domestic rates is available for sole general stores and post offices with rateable value less than £6,000 in settlements of under 3,000 in designated rural areas. The Executive has recently announced that current mandatory rates relief measures will be extended to cover singly owned pubs and garages, sole village stores and post offices and cash-machines situated away from banks in rural areas.

Scottish Executive Staff

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23798 by Mr Andy Kerr on 20 March 2002, in which department each qualified accountant is employed.

Mr Andy Kerr: The breakdown of qualified accountants by department is as follows:

  


Education


3




Enterprise and Lifelong Learning


11




Development


4




Finance and Central Services


18




Health


9




Justice


11




Environment and Rural Affairs


2




Secondment


3




Total


61

Social Justice

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of women in public life.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive is committed to encouraging more women to apply to serve on the board of public bodies in order to reflect the social and cultural mix in the country. Our proposals for attracting a wider range of people to serve on Non-Departmental Public Bodies - including women - were published in Public Bodies: Proposals for Change on 21 June last year. Steps taken to encourage more women have included awareness-raising speeches, talks and presentations to women's interest groups. The new Scottish Commissioner for Public Appointments, once appointed, will have a specific remit to promote diversity in public appointments.

  We acknowledge that it will take some time before measures designed to generate more applications from women and other currently under-represented groups begin to bear fruit.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to encouraging more women into public life, not only through public appointments, but also through participation in all aspects of public life. For example, the Women in Scotland Consultative Forum meets as a national event at which representatives of women's organisations across Scotland meet to discuss policy concerns with ministers and policymakers. The forum encourages women to have a fuller more effective involvement in policy development and provides a valuable resource for the Scottish Executive on the policies affecting women and their communities.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will postpone signing the e-tourism contract until the tourism sector is assured that access to the site will be managed to ensure that no sector or business will be disadvantaged and criteria to which businesses must adhere in order to advertise on the site are published.

Mike Watson: There is no reason for VisitScotland to postpone signing the e-tourism contract. It will be a key condition of the new company's business plan that all tourism businesses have equal access to the website. The criteria for advertising on the site will also be covered by the business plan. The plan will require the agreement of both VisitScotland and the area tourist boards and therefore they will be fully involved in both access and advertising issues. Tourism businesses will also be consulted as necessary.